Landcare Trust is an independent, non-Government organisation which works on sustainable water and land quality.

CEO Dr Nick Edgar says Mr Thompson had been with the trust since its inception in 1996.

"Richard has done so much for us in the past 22 years and has been extremely proactive in his role as chair and now we are all excited and happy to have the baton passed to Fiona, who has been on the board since 2016 and is very passionate about sustainable land and water quality," he says.

"George Matthews from the Federation of Maori Authorities was elected as deputy chair of the Trust, so Fiona and George will be a great team," says Dr Edgar.

Fiona Gower says she is looking forward to the challenge of stepping up from a trustee to the extra responsibility that comes with being Chair of the board.

"It is a real privilege to be appointed as the Chair for NZ Landcare Trust," she says.

"The Trust has an ever-increasing role in supporting sustainable land management throughout New Zealand, and I look forward to working with the staff and trustees to achieve this," Ms Gower says.

Fiona Gower has been with Rural Women New Zealand for 13 years, and has been on the National Council (now known as the Board) since 2013. She was elected National President in 2016.

Outside of her work with NZLT and RWNZ, Fiona is on the Waikato Conservation Board and is a member of the Port Waikato BeachCare group.